Why Contractors Cannot Find Good Help

The Decline of Skilled Workers

Imagine two hills with a lush, green valley in between them. On one hill you have a sheep herder with his flock, gazing down at the valley. This is prime real estate for his herd, and will be just what he needs to increase his profits.

On the other hill, you have another sheep herder with an equal number of sheep. He also views this valley with an opportunistic eye.

Both sheep herders descend with their flocks and the sheep begin to graze, working from opposite ends. Over several months, the green field begins to turn brown. Rain comes, but not often enough to grow anything more than some weeds. Eventually, the sheep herders need to make a decision: stick around and hope for resources to replenish, or move to somewhere greener.

This concept is referred to by economists as the Tragedy of The Commons.

While the word “tragedy” may be a bit dramatic, this word sets the precedent for the amount of time and energy it currently takes to find good resources.

Our current construction industry landscape is no stranger to the concept of competing for resources. When you couple the ongoing decline of interest in skilled trades among millennials, large waves of Baby Boomers soon entering retirement, and stagnant wages, our industry is facing a serious crisis. Many experts suggest that there are already more available positions than there are qualified workers needed to fill them. Much like the blades of grass that were exhausted in the example above, contractors must look to other avenues to find good resources.

We talk to contractors every day who say, “I cannot find anyone in my local area that can do this work,” and often times the “work” consists of pretty standard trade knowledge. Think about how difficult it must be to find someone licensed, certified or specialized!

That is why our contractors rely on us to find them the most qualified craft workers for their projects. We have around 150,000 workers registered with us, and we see about 1500 new applicants register with us each month.

So, don’t waste more time waiting on the rain to replenish your resources. Give Grus a call – 888-230-9908, or visit our website to Request a Quote and see how we can help!